Weight loss and NDT

[Carriebaby]

Hi wondering if anyone can give me information as I have been taking NDT for 7 weeks now and currently taking 2 grains a day. I also take all the added supplements to aid my conversion. As previously advised. I have also given up glutton and only take small amounts of dairy (milk) in my decaf tea/ coffee, as I can't find an alternative to this that I like. I was hoping that since NDT is natural and not the same as the synthetic Levo I was unfortunately taking for the past 18 years, that it would address the weight gain that had piled on whilst on Levo 2.5 stones regardless of diet exercise!! I was really hoping that the T3 in NDT would get my motabalism into gear and help me loose this unhealthy weight. I have also got elivated blood pressure and high cholesterol. Which is being monitored.

[greygoose]

Perhaps you're just not on enough. Do you have any recent labs to share?

[Carriebaby in reply to greygoose]

I haven't had any taken since I swapped from Levo 7 weeks ago ! I did post my last results prior to stopping and was told my T3 was low! I have been on 2 grains for a week now and was going to add another 1/2 grain next week as someone told me that you sometimes have to take up to 2 1/2 grains to be totally medicated. I'm surprised how much I'm taking as I was only on 100 mcg of Levo, but it wasn't cutting it as weight wouldn't budge !!

[greygoose in reply to Carriebaby]

Well, I expect a) you weren't on enough levo and b) you weren't converting it.

2 1/2 grains is not an especially high dose. Some people take a lot more than that. And there's not that much T3 in one grain, so if you can't convert the T4, then you're probably still low on T3.

But it's stupid to say that 2 1/2 grains is 'totally medicated'. We're all different, and you need what you need. There is no one magic dose that makes everyone well.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Carriebaby]

Exercise depletes T3 in our bodies and until we are on an optimum of any thyroid hormones it's best to take things easy as it may be a waste of time otherwise.

T3 is the only active hormone needed by our receptor cells and NDT contains all of the hormones a healthy body would produce and when on levo we have to have sufficient to convert to enough T3.

Being hypothyroid many people have had unexplained weight gain before being diagnosed.

I have read that some take 5 or more grains NDT, dosing is very individual to each person. Some may need 1 gr and some 5+.

7 weeks is too early to lose weight. Depending on how long your body began to have a dysfunction of your thyroid gland, probably years before diagnosed, there can be no rush. Everything is slow and gradual.

Usually when beginning NDT if on levo previously, you can do a straight switchover, i.e. 100 mcg of lev = 1 gr of NDT. If you start from scratch on NDT you begin on 1/2 gr and then every two weeks a 1/4 or 1/2 increase until symptoms are relieved and you feel well.

If you feel overstimulated (having taken pulse/temp before beginning new regime) you drop down to the previous dose. Stay on that dose for a while and weight may come down or you will also have to diet as you may now be on an optimum dose, i.e. no clinical symptoms. That's how doctors used to treat us, i.e. no blood tests then.